Axle-box for railway-cars.



PATBNTED AUG. 16, 1904.

P. W. CHAFBE.v AXLB B0X POR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED .MAY 11. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

6 H m O m n w.. QNA m W "AA, H

Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. GHAFFEE, OF ALBANY, NEl/V YORK.

AxLE-Box Fon RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 67,797 dated August 16, 1904:.

Application filed May 11, 1904. Serial No. 207,409. (No model.)

T0 all whom/it may concern: l

Be it known that I, FRANK W. GHAFEEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Boxes for Railway- Cars, of which the following is a speciiication. The invention relates to improvements in laxle-boxes for railway-car trucks; and it consists in the novel features and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention pertains more especially to novel, eificient, and durable means for holding the lid of the box either closed or open, as may be required, and the said invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of an axle-box constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, the section being taken on the dotted line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of same on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of same. Fig. 4 is a detached face view of one of the locking cam-disks, and Fig. 5 is a detached top view of same.

In the drawings, 10 designates the body of the box, of ordinary or any suitable general form and construction, and 11 the hinged lid or cover, which, except as to its hinged portion, may also be of any usual or suitable construction. Upon the top of the box 10 is formed the lug 12, whose upper portion is rounded or on the arc of a circle and whose lower rear portion inclines rearwardly, as at 13, and merges into the top of the box. At its front portion the lug 12 continues to the lower surface of the top of the box. The lug 12 contains the bore or through-aperture 14 to receive the pintle-bolt 15, and at its end surfaces the said lug 12 is formed with the three double-inclined cam projections 16, the cam projections 16 at one end of the lug 12 corresponding exactly with those at the other end of the lug and being arranged on the line of a circle. The lug 12 is therefore a bearing-lug integral with the top of the box 10 and formed with the double-inclined cam projections 16 at its opposite ends. The cover or lid 11 is at its upper end formed with the sleeves 17, which correspond with each other and are at the front of the cover 11 connected with the integral lip-section 18, which extends upwardly from the front of the cover to a point near the upper line of the lug 12, as shown in Fig. 2, this section 18 serving to strengthen the structure and to a degree protect the parts comprised in the hinged portion of the box. The sleeves 17. have enlarged bores 19, which are of polygonal outline, especially at their inner or facing' ends, to receive the correspondingly shaped shanks 20 of the sliding cam-disks 21, which have a circular bore 22 and are interposed between the outer ends of the lug 12 and the inner or faclug 12, shall turn with the sleeves 17 during the opening and closingof the cover 11.

The pintle-bolt 15 has atone end a head 24 and at'the other end a washer 25 and securing-pin or equivalent device 26, and the said head 24 and washer 25 serve to close the outer ends of the sleeves 17 and also to furnish bearing-points for the coiled springs 27 ,which are always under tension and confined within the sleeves 17 intermediate the outer ends of the cam-disks 21 and the facing-surfaces of the head 24 and washer 25, as shown in Fig. 1. The' bolt 15 passes through the sleeves 17, cam-disks 21, and lug 12 and forms the axis upon which the cover 11 may have its hinged or swinging movement.-

In the employment of the invention the cam'- disks 21 constantly press against the cam ends of the lug 12, this being' due to the fact that the springs 27 are always under tension, and this pressure of the cam-disks 21 against the cam ends of the lug 12 results in the springs 27 being enabled to firmly bind the lid 11 in either its closed or open position.

It will be observed upon reference to Fig. 3 that the cams 16 on the lug 12 are so disposed that their inclined surfaces are always, in the initial condition of the parts, in contact with the inclined surfaces of the cams 23 on the.

disks 21, or, in other words, that the points of the cams 16 are never, in the initial condition of' the parts, in line with the points of the cams 23, and by reason of this fact the inclined surfaces of the cams 23 are enabled under the force of the springs 27 to cooperate with the inclined' surfaces of the cams 16 in effecting the firm locking of the lid 11 in its closed or open position. The lid or cover 11 is illustrated in its closed position in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, being held in such position by the springs 27 and cooperating' cams 16 and 23, and when it is desired to open the said lid or cover the latter will be pulled upwardly from its lower end, and at such time the sleeves 17 and disks 21 will be caused to turn about their central axes, with the result that the inclined cam-surfaces of the disks 21 will be compelled to ride over the inclined cam-surfaces 16 of the lug 12, the said disks 21 sliding' outwardly from the lug 12 as the points of the cams 16 23 approach each other and moving inwardly toward said lug as the points of said cams recede from each other. When the cover 11 reaches its upper position, theprojecting por tions of the cams 16 will be in the depressed portions of the cams 23, and under this condition the springs 27 with the cooperating cams 16 23, will lock the cover 11 in its upper open position.

I provide the lug 12 at each end with three of the double-inclined cams 16 and each disk 21 with three of the double inclines 23, so that during the opening of the cover 11 the projecting portions of the cams 23 may have to pass only once over the projections of the cams 16, this permitting of the lid or cover being moved from its closed to its full-open position or Afrom its full-open position to its closed position by one operation. If the lug 12 and disks 21 were provided with, say, five or six of the cam projections, the lid or cover 11 when jerked open in the ordinary way would likely become arrested by said cams before it reached its full-open position, and if this should happen then asecond operation would be required to force the c over to its full-open position, and likewise upon the closing of the lid or cover 11 under the conditions stated the attendant might move the same toward its closed position; but the lid or cover might become arrested. by the cams before it reached its fully-closed position, with the result of requiring a second operation to effect the complete closing of the cover; but with the employment of, say, three of the cam projections on the lug 12 and disks 21, as shown, the lid or cover 11 will move entirely to either its open or closed position upon the attendant moving said lid sufliciently for the projection portions of the cams 23 to only once ride over the projections of the cams 16,

the inclined surfaces on the cooperating cams then compelling, under the action of the springs 27, the complete movement of the lid or cover to its intended position.

I would further call attention to the fact that when the cover 11 is in its closed position the projections 16 on the lug 12 are not at the base of the depressions of the cams 23, and this is a valuable feature in that the cooperating inclined surfaces of the cams 16 23 are thereby caused to exert a constant leverage in a direction to keep the cover firmly closed and in that said arrangement of the said cam-surfaces keeps the adjacent parts of the device in firm contact with each other and prevents the rattling of the same during the travel of the car and also in that any wear of the contacting parts may be taken up by the springs 27 and the longevity, eiiiciency, and durability of the structure thus increased. It is obvious that if when the cover 11 is in closed position -the cam projections 16 on the lug 12 were snugly and fully within the depressions of the cams 23 the springs 27 would hold said cover closed; but under such condition in the event of wear on the surfaces of the cams the disks 21 would gradually assume a position inwardly from their original initial position, and this would result in a relaxation of the springs 27, and finally said springs might not act to so firmly and efiiciently control the cover 11, and rattling and rapid wearing of the parts might ensue.

I do not limit my invention in every instance to the employment of three double-inclined surfaces on the lug 12 and disks 21; nor do I in every instance limit my invention to the polygonal form of the shanks 20. The purpose of the polygonal form of the shanks 2O is to enable the disks 21 to directly approach and recede from each other and compel them to turn with the sleeves 17 during the opening and closing of the cover 11, while the lug `12 remains stationary. It is obvious, however, that other mechanical means readily understood might be employed to guide the shanks 20 in the sleeves 17 and compel said shanks to turn with said sleeves-as, for instance, if the shanks 20 were circular in crosssection they might have a groove or slot formed in them to receive pins extending downwardly through the sleeves 17-in which event the slots and pins would cooperate to guide said shanks and compel them to turn with the sleeves 17. I, however, illustrate the preferred IOO IIO

and most durable and efficient construction, and this construction constitutes a part .of my invention. Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-l 1. The axle-box having the lug formed on its top with the double-inclined cams 16, combined with the cover having the sleeves 17, the disks 21 having on their facing ends-the double-inclined cams 23 to cooperate with said cams 16 and provided with the shanks guided in said sleeves, the compressed springs Within the outerends of said sleeves and bearing against said disks, and the pintle passing through said lug, disks and sleeves; substantially as set forth.

2. The axle-box having the lug formed on its top with the three double-inclined cams 16, combined with the cover having the sleeves 17, the disks 21 having on their facing ends the three double-inclined cams 23V to cooperate with said cams 16 and provided With-the Shanks guided in said sleeves, the compressed springs within the outer ends of said sleeves and bearing against said disks, and the pintle passing through said lug, disks and-sleeves; substantially as set forth.

3. The axle-box having the lug formed on its top with the double-inclined cams 16, combined with the cover having the sleeves 17 and upwardly-extending integrallip-seotion connecting said sleevesl at thel front of the box, the disks 21 having ontheir facingendsthe double-inclined cams 23 to cooperate With said cams V16 and provided With the Shanks guided in said sleeves, the compressed springs Within the outer ends of said sleeves and bearing against said disks, and the pintle passing through said lug, disks and sleeves; substantially as set forth.

4. rlhe axle-box and its cover respectively provided with a lug portion anda sleeve portion, said lug portion having the double-inclined cams,combined with the disks 21 guided insaid sleeve portion and having' the doubleinclined cams to cooperate with the first-.mentioned cams, spring means for keeping the cams of said disks pressed against said firstmentioned cams, and a pintle passing through said lug portion and said sleeve portion; substantially as set forth.

5. The axle-box and itscover respectively provided with a lug portion and a sleeve portion, said lug portion having the double-inclined cams, combined with the disks 21 guided in said sleeve portion and having the doubleinclined cams to cooperate with the first-mentioned can1s,spring means for keeping the cams of said disks pressed against said first-mentioned cams, and a pintle passing through said lug portion and said sleeve portion, said-cams being so disposed that when said cover is in closed position the projecting portions of one set of said cams Will be partly Within but not at the base ofthe depressions of the other set of said cams; substantially as set forth.

y 6. The aXle-boXand itscover respectively provided-With a lug portion and a sleeve portion, said lug portion having on its end a set of double-inclined cams, and said sleeve portionhaving a polygonal bore, combined with a disk 21 having a'polygonal shank Within said bore and provided with a set of double-inclined cams tov cooperate with the first-mem FRANK W. CHAFFEE. l

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. GILL, ARTHUR MARION. 

